Stichting Vierdaagsefeesten

What Stichting Vierdaagsefeesten does

Stichting Vierdaagsefeesten is a Dutch non-profit foundation (stichting) founded in 1970 (under the name Zomerfeesten, renamed in 1998) that operates the Vierdaagsefeesten, the largest free outdoor event in the Netherlands, held annually during the third week of July in Nijmegen city center. The 7-day festival delivers more than 1,000 acts across 40+ stages spread across the city, attracting approximately 400,000 visitors and 1.5 million visits. The organization runs a small core team of 29 employees coordinating a decentralized programming model in which independent stage organizers, food vendors, and artists operate under multi-year contracts; visitors access the event free of charge, with monetization handled through wristband sales, merchandise, partner bar beverage sales, and sponsorship.

The foundation's product surface consists of the core festival, a mobile application (iOS and Android) providing the program, schedule builder, and anonymous real-time crowd-density heatmaps, an online webshop for merchandise and wristbands, the Friends of Vierdaagsefeesten annual membership subscription, and the circular rPET cup system deployed across all outdoor bars and terraces. Supporting technology includes integrations with Eventbrite for ticketing, CM.com and Mailjet for newsletters, Imgix for image delivery, and Google/Apple SSO for account creation. Sustainability infrastructure is a core differentiator: the rPET cup system (launched June 2022, with 76% cup return and 92% tableware return in 2025) and a carbon farming partnership with ZLTO (80 carbon certificates purchased from local farmers in February 2025) anchor an explicit climate-neutrality program.

The business model is non-profit and event-driven: standard wristbands are sold at €12.50, Friends subscriptions at €36/year, merchandise via the webshop and physical stands, and the festival is kept free to attendees through F&B consumption at partner bars and a sponsorship portfolio anchored by Nexperia as premium partner, plus Rabobank, NS, and other local businesses. Customer segments include general festival-goers (primary), independent stage organizers and food vendors, artists and performers, business partners and sponsors, and local Nijmegen residents engaged through steering groups. The festival achieved an 8.3/10 visitor satisfaction rating in 2025, and the organization is led by Directeur-Bestuurder Joris Bouwmeester.

Name

Stichting Vierdaagsefeesten

Legal name

Stichting Vierdaagsefeesten

Website

https://vierdaagsefeesten.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stichting Vierdaagsefeesten is a Dutch non-profit foundation that operates the Vierdaagsefeesten, the largest free outdoor event in the Netherlands, drawing 400,000 visitors to 1,000+ acts across 40+ stages in Nijmegen over 7 days each July. It monetizes through wristbands, merchandise, partner bar F&B sales, and sponsorships led by Nexperia, Rabobank, and NS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Festival and Outdoor Event Services

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural & Community Festivals (Ticketed) (THAJAFAI)

Keywords

• Outdoor music festivals
• Festival event management
• Festival wristband programs
• Sustainable event operations
• Festival merchandise sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Nijmegen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Wristband sales: Festival wristbands provide toilet access and exclusive daily programming. Regular wristband costs €12.50. Friends wristband costs €36 annually (€3/month equivalent) with additional benefits including 10% merchandise discount.
2. Merchandise sales: Webshop sales of merchandise including hoodies, flags, socks, and bags.
3. Beverage sales (through partner bars): The festival keeps events free through beverage and food sales at partner bars and food stands throughout the venues.
4. Sponsorship: Partnerships with sponsors including Nexperia (premium partner), Rabobank, NS, and other local businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Stichting Vierdaagsefeesten operates the annual Vierdaagsefeesten festival in Nijmegen, Netherlands — the largest free outdoor event in the country, featuring more than 1,000 acts across over 40 stages over seven days. The foundation also sells festival wristbands, an annual Friends membership subscription, festival merchandise through its own webshop, and runs a circular rPET cup system for on-site beverages at partner bars.

Product overview

Stichting Vierdaagsefeesten operates the Vierdaagsefeesten festival - the largest free outdoor event in the Netherlands - as a unified core product augmented by several complementary services and modules. The main festival product features over 1,000 acts across more than 40 stages over 7 days. Supporting this core are the Vierdaagsefeesten App (mobile application for program access and crowd updates), the Webshop (merchandise and wristband sales), the circular cup system (sustainable beverage service), and the Friends membership program (annual membership with exclusive benefits). The organization also provides stage and venue programming coordination for external organizers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Friends of Vierdaagsefeesten: Friend membership program offering wristbands with benefits including toilet access and exclusive programming
• Roze Woensdag
• Friends Wristband

Products and services

• Vierdaagsefeesten Festival The core 7-day annual outdoor music and cultural festival held each July in the city center of Nijmegen, Netherlands. Features more than 1,000 acts across over 40 stages and is the largest free outdoor event in the Netherlands, attracting around 400,000 visitors and 1.5 million visits. Open to the general public free of charge.
• Festival Wristband (Polsbandje) A festival wristband sold to visitors for €12.50 that provides 7 days of unlimited access to all toilets at all venues plus access to a different exclusive daily programming slot from 14:00 to 22:00 each day.
• Friends of Vierdaagsefeesten Membership Annual subscription membership priced at €36/year (€3/month) that includes a golden wristband with the same benefits as the regular festival wristband plus a 10% merchandise discount. Proceeds support climate neutrality goals and accessibility. €3.95 shipping applies if delivered.
• Festival Webshop (Merchandise) Online store selling festival merchandise including hoodies, flags, socks, and bags, in addition to wristbands and Friends memberships. Complemented by physical merchandise stands at the event.
• Circular Cup System Sustainable beverage service at partner bars and terraces using rPET cups that are collected and high-quality recycled into new cups. Visitors pay a €1 environmental contribution on their first drink and only the consumption price on subsequent drinks when returning the cup. The same cups work across all outdoor bars and terraces in the city.
• Vierdaagsefeesten Mobile App Free iOS and Android app providing the full festival program, a personal schedule builder, real-time crowd density heatmap based on anonymous location data, and push notifications for emergencies or important announcements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8.3 out of 10 visitor satisfaction rating (2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NexperiacoreOthersPremium partner of Vierdaagsefeesten. As a major technology company with operations in Nijmegen region, Nexperia provides significant sponsorship support for the event.
• RabobankcoreOthersMajor Dutch bank serving as a sponsor of the event, supporting the largest free outdoor event in the Netherlands.
• NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen)coreOthersDutch national railway operator as sponsor, supporting sustainable transportation to the event.
• ZLTOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural organization representing local farmers around Nijmegen. Partnership for carbon farming program where farmers capture CO2 in soil through practices like non-inversion tillage, cover crops, and flower strips. Vierdaagsefeesten purchases carbon certificates from ZLTO farmers.
• DarcoreTechnology or IntegrationLocal sustainability partner contributing knowledge and experience to circular systems including the cup return program.
• AlbronminorOthersCatering and hospitality partner providing knowledge and experience for circular systems.
• ACBN Evenementenbureau NijmegencoreOthersNijmegen events bureau with full and unlimited usage rights for event photography and videography, used for promotional materials.
• Pro To Ga BeveiligingminorOthersSecurity partner for event safety and crowd management.
• Patroon Duurzaam XLminorOthersSustainability partner supporting environmental initiatives.
• LifeportminorOthersLocal partner supporting event initiatives.
• Statiegeld NederlandminorOthersDeposit return system organization supporting circular economy initiatives.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• North Sea Jazz Festival: Major Dutch music festival with multiple stages, sponsored by major Dutch corporates (including NS historically), and a long-running cultural brand. Comparable in scale, stage count, and Dutch corporate sponsor ecosystem.
• Pinkpop Festival: One of the largest and longest-running music festivals in the Netherlands (held since 1970), comparable to Vierdaagsefeesten in national scale, multi-stage programming, and entrenched brand position. Key difference is that Pinkpop is ticketed, making it a close operational peer rather than a direct pricing competitor.
• Zwarte Cross: Large Dutch multi-day festival combining music, sports, and theater with multiple stages, comparable in programming diversity and broad audience appeal. Ticketed and rural, but a structural peer in the Dutch large-festival landscape.
• Pukkelpop: Belgian multi-stage music festival with similar programming model and audience scale. Operates in the same Benelux large-festival category with comparable multi-stage, multi-genre positioning.
• Fusion Festival: Large free-admission music and counterculture festival in Germany, the closest direct peer to Vierdaagsefeesten's free-admission, multi-stage, community-led model. Comparable in scale, decentralization, and non-commercial ethos.
• Mysteryland: One of the Netherlands' largest electronic music festivals with multiple stages, comparable in operational scale and brand maturity. Ticketed and dance-music focused, but a direct operational peer in the Dutch festival ecosystem.
• Sziget Festival: One of Europe's largest music festivals held in Budapest, comparable in audience scale (hundreds of thousands), multi-stage programming, and long-running brand heritage. A direct international peer at a similar operational tier.
• Lowlands (A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise): Major Dutch multi-genre music and culture festival with multiple stages and large audience, closely comparable in programming depth and cultural positioning. Ticketed and on a dedicated site rather than a city center, but operates at a similar scale and target audience.
• Best Kept Secret: Dutch multi-stage music festival with similar audience profile, multi-day format, and brand ambition. Smaller than Vierdaagsefeesten in attendance but a relevant operational peer in the Dutch festival market.

Broad incumbents

• Glastonbury Festival: The UK's flagship multi-stage music and culture festival, comparable in cultural status, scale, and multi-stage programming depth. Ticketed rather than free, and a broader incumbent, but operates as a reference point for large European community festivals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYgPlyq6JwndsAg-plE7XPQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Vierdaagsefeesten
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stichting-vierdaagsefeesten
• Instagraminstagram.com/vierdaagsefeesten
• TikToktiktok.com/@vierdaagsefeesten

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stichting Vierdaagsefeesten